Matt Jones update:
Matt Jones Trying To Hang On
Embattled WR Jones enjoying his best camp
MICHAEL C. WRIGHT</MCC BYLINE1><MCC BYLINE2>The Times-Union</MCC BYLINE2>
Fire pulsed through his blue eyes, and for a split second, tiny hints of a snarl threatened to tighten up his face.
No longer was this Matt Jones, the Jaguars wide receiver known for his lackadaisical body language.
This was a more serious, more focused Jones. Perhaps now, his passion can be ignited by something other than the "do-you-think-you-have-a-drug-problem?" question he faced the day he reported to training camp following a felony drug arrest.
"Anybody that's watched [training-camp practices] and had an open mind about it [would say] he's had a good first week of camp," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's done a nice job of competing, made some tough catches, been here every day. I don't know if you call it a surprise, but the fact is Matt has had his best week."
With Jones scheduled for arraignment on a drug charge in Arkansas in six days, he'll need another good week - this time off the field in the courtroom. He also could face a suspension by the NFL.
But on the field, Jones appears to be flashing his first-round potential more consistently. The latest exhibit was in the team's scrimmage Friday night at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, when Jones snuck past new Jaguars cornerback Drayton Florence for a 19-yard touchdown catch. On another pass, Jones made a fingertip grab close to the sideline.
"It was good," Jones said of the touchdown catch. "David [Garrard] made a great throw to my back shoulder, where only I could catch it with [Florence] turned around. It was a really good ball."
Jones can expect more of those passes if he maintains the momentum he has built through the first week of camp. That's a big turnaround from last season, when he finished with career lows in receptions (24) and yardage (317).
Earlier in the offseason, a team source requesting anonymity because an official decision hadn't been made, said the Jaguars - disappointed in Jones' lack of effort to reach his potential - planned to cut him before the regular season.
And Jones' felony drug arrest last month obviously didn't help. Yet it appears now that Jones might have weathered the storm.
The absence of receivers Reggie Williams (knee) and Jerry Porter (hamstring), coupled with uncertainty concerning the health of Mike Walker (knee), is benefiting the former University of Arkansas quarterback, who's getting extra repetitions.
And for the first time in his four-year NFL career, Jones hasn't missed camp time because of nagging leg injuries. That allows him to continue his development as a receiver while becoming more comfortable in second-year Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's system.
"My first year, I had some hamstring problems, and in my second year, I twisted my ankle the second day of camp," Jones said. "When my body's healthy, I can play with anybody. I can do a lot of good things and help this team win."
For a long time, much of the Jaguars' coaching staff felt that way, too. In fact, one coach, who didn't want to offend the team's other receivers, said in terms of raw talent and potential, Jones was the best on the roster.
But then Jones fell out of favor last season. Inactive for three games and benched for another, Jones was criticized by Del Rio for his work ethic and body language. But Del Rio now says Jones is having his strongest camp.
"Now the key is, will he continue to do that and sustain that?" Del Rio asked. "You see the things that he can do that are going to be pretty darn good if we can get him to fight through soreness, fatigue, all of those types of things and continue to play at a high level."
It's too early to tell whether Jones will have the chance to finally live up to his potential, but he's making progress. His release off the line of scrimmage is improved. There's an extra stutter-step or two, more jukes and a tad more crispness in his routes.
"I'm concentrating on football," Jones said. "When we met [following the arrest, Del Rio] told me there's a roster spot on this team, and I can go out there and earn it. That's all I'm trying to do."
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